How Far We've Come
by Min Daae
Summary: Promise has tea. And things to say to Cal. Cal is disturbed, a little, by a few of them. ONESHOT.


Caliban woke up the moment Promise stepped into the room, jerking upright and only just managing not to launch himself at her

_A/N: Set shortly after the altercation with Abbagor during Moonshine, so hence spoilers for that. Enjoyar, of course it doesn't belong to me. _

Caliban woke up the moment Promise stepped into the room, jerking upright and only just managing not to launch himself at her. She turned on the lights and walked over to the kitchen. "Tea?"

Cal rubbed his eyes, sitting up. "How about coffee?"

"I'm afraid all you have is tea. Please, allow me."

So she wanted to talk. He just nodded, and she set the water to boil. He watched her back, not quite warily, as she moved around the kitchen with an easy sort of grace.

"How's Nik?"

"He's sleeping, right now. With some persuading that you really are all right."

Cal knew she didn't mean it as an accusation, but he winced anyway and just managed to refrain from apologizing. "Yeah. Good." The kettle started to hiss and Promise took it off, preparing a cup.

"You are all right, yes?" She sounded sedate enough, so he answered her in way he wouldn't answer Nik.

"Pretty much. Freaked out as hell, but I'm not dead. Guess that's a big deal."

She brought the tea over and glanced just briefly at the neatly stacked ruins of the coffee table in the corner before setting it on the makeshift table we'd slapped together as a substitute. And then sat down. Cal just kind of looked at her.

"Go on."

He shifted awkwardly. "It's nothing important. I just…I didn't think I could do that."

"Mmm. I think all of us are glad you did." Her voice was quiet and he looked up, surprised, and she was gazing at him evenly with her violet eyes, expression serious. Cal twitched.

"Are you sure Nik's okay?" He asked, awkwardly.

"Of course I'm sure, or I wouldn't have left him alone." A pause. "He needs sleep. And I wanted to talk to you."

"Why'd you want to talk to me?" Cal didn't mean to sound defensive, but somehow it came out that way. Like Niko would have, Promise ignored it.

"I care for your brother greatly."

"I know," awkwardly, again, but she wasn't done.

"But I think it's important for you to know that I'd never come between you."

He blinked, and before he could stop himself blurted, "God, no, that's the last thing I'm worried about," and then shut his mouth, hurriedly.

Promise raised her eyebrows at him. "What _are_ you worried about?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

"_God_ you sound like Nik. Don't do that, one of him's enough. All right, I'm just glad that he has someone else. Other than me."

Silence.

"It's – good for him. I mean – I don't like how much he's cut out for me, and I'm just – glad he has a girlfriend now, that's it."

"You're all he needs," Promise said softly.

Cal flailed. "That's not – God, Promise, don't do that, you make it sound like it's a choice between me and you, and it's not. I'm not jealous or anything-"

"I know, I never said you were."

He glanced down at his hands, turning them over and chewing his lip. "I…Nik cares about you. A lot. And I'm not going to do anything to take that away, _ever._" That last fiercely. "He's given up every chance of a normal life for me, so when something good comes along – I'm going to make sure he doesn't let me mess it up, okay?"

Promise looked at him, face unreadable. "You mean more to him than I even will." It wasn't bitter, just a statement of fact. "That much I know."

Caliban looked down. "Yeah, I know. Nik doesn't exactly have his priorities straight."

"I'd say he does. You're his brother."

"He takes it too far. Gives up too much. I can't pay that back."

"You don't have to." She paused, then added. "He'd die for you, you know."

"I know," Cal said miserably. "That's the problem."

They both fell silent.

"Promise," Cal said eventually, "Would you…do something for me?"

"Yes, Caliban?"

"If…something happens to me. You'll keep Nik from doing anything stupid, right?"

Her tone didn't change in the least, sedate as ever. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

"It could-"

"It won't." She stood up. "Drink your tea."

"Promise, why did you want to talk to me, anyway?"

"I thought you should know that you have someone else in the way. Everything else aside, if something happened to you, it'd hurt Niko terribly. And I cannot allow that." She paused and then smiled, and somehow the fangs didn't make it any less warm. "And that's beside the fact that I do care what happens to you, Caliban."

He stared at her, taken off guard.

"So yes, I'm glad that you didn't die today, and for your own sake as well as Niko's." She walked over to him and pushed some hair back from his forehead. "Keep your hair out of your eyes. You look like you're hiding when it's all over your face."

"Promise, what-"

She shushed him. "Drink your tea, Caliban. I don't accept arguments." A pause. "Take care." Was that – fondness? Cal gaped at her, quite unable to speak.

"And shut your mouth, you'll catch flies." Amused, and then in a swish of black cloth, she was gone down the hallway again.

Cal looked down at the tea, moodily, and then blinked at the steam rising lazily from the cup of coffee. And smiled, a little, wondering if maybe he'd just acquired an older sister. He ran a hand through his hair and almost smiled.


End file.
